Card sorting machine



July 7', 1953 T. F. MEAGHER 2,644,458

CARD soaTlN MACHINE V Original Filed March 17,' 1945 4 s heets-Sheet lJuly 7, 1953 T. F. MEAGHER CARD soRTING MACHINE original Fixied Mann 17,1945 4 Sheets-*Sheet 2 INVENTOR. 771mm: Mu/faz ATTORNEYS.

T. F. MEAGHER lCARD soRTING MACHINE Original Filed March 17, 1945 July7, 1953 l 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIE.7

F'IELE E R mm m N4h N EE R VM w WF. N M

Patentedy July 7, 19573 2,644,45&

l CARD soatrrNG MACHINE rhomas F. Meagher, West Ne'WtoiL'MassL i* Yminuao f application Serial No. $3,312. 'March 17 1945' "Thisapplication -Maroh 18,

1350,-seriaiNo.15o,5o9 l si,

` This applicationis a continuationoi 'myfapf plication for Card SortingMachine, SerialNo. 583,312, filed March 17, 1945, now abandoned.

l Y' This `invention relatesmtoA card sorting andY 4selecting machinesfornuse in sorting cards of the character Widely known as Ieysort cardskof the type which are illustrated and described in Letters Patentl ofthe United States No. 1,544,172. Y

' .It is the principal objectv of my present invention to. provide agenerally improved "apparatuscapable ofreceiving cards of thecharacterrreferredto and of operation to expeditiously sort lcardsdisposed therein, which device is provided with a means for rapidlyseparating the Vcards being sortedV to facilitate the separation of thesorted-cards. Y

In practioingmy invention I 'provide a sorting tray forr holding thecards vWhichis provided with templates for receiving the sorting needlesor rods. When the sorting needles or rods are in position, I haveprovided a Vmedium for directing a blast of air overthe edges of thecards Vso as to expedite separation of the cards during the sortingprocess.

The invention is exemplied in the following description and illustratedby Way of'example in the accompanyingdrawings, in which:

Fig. l is a view in side elevation With part in'central longitudinalsection through one form of apparatus embodying my invention,

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is an end vievv thereof. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the cardsorting tray. l

Fig.- 5is a View in side elevation with parts in central longitudinalsection through a second form of apparatus embodying my invention.'

Fig. 6 is a plan view thereof'. Fig. 7 is an end view thereof.

Referring more particularly to the accompanying drawings, l0 indicatesan 'apparatus constructed inaccordance with my present invention.v Thisapparatus is a portable one and may cards of the type set forth inLetters Patent of' the United States No. 1,544,172.

' These cards are formed with a'plurality of perforations disposedadjacent the edge of the card Which may be separately slottedr out tothe edge to indicate or represent a particular classification.- Indirect sorting, as pointed out in said patent, those cards relating to aparticular classie marais. (cricca-sien) `iication are separated uvstack by means of a sortingl rod or rods passed from the remainderofthe through the perforations of a particular. classiiication. The rodorneedles retain those cards unslotted for this classification, Whilethe cards f Aslotted to'represent the classification separate from thestack.

AIn sequence sorting,l as set forth in said patent, any number of cardsin a stack may be placed y in numerical order, or other sequence, bypassing the selector rod or needle successively through the yperforations in ka particular sequence, as set forth in the patent. Bothdirect and sequence sorting is well known and, therefore, Will not bedescribed herein with any further particularity. I also desire to pointout that edge punched cards of various types are in commercial use, andthat my present apparatus is applicable to edge punched cards ofvariousltypes and its .use is not conned solely tothe particular typeset forth in the aforesaid Letters Patent. u The present machine iscapable of vreceiving a stack of cards` and direct or sequence sortingthe same. The apparatus comprises a frame or base Il which, in thisinstance, is illustrated as a rectangular planar member. Supported bythis base is a housing l2 which encloses a motor driven blower I4 of anypreferredtype and design having an air inlet end l5 and a dischargeconnection I6. In the end of the housing adjacent the 'air inlet end theformer is provided with a series of openings l1 through Which air isdrawn into the housing and into the blower, when the blower is inoperation. Intersecting the path of the air drawn into the housing andblower through the Vopenings l1 are Yheating elements I8 so as to in-lsure that the air deliveredto the blower willbe dry and heated. Thehousing I2'is preferably, but not necessarily, insulated for sound, asillustrated.

`In the form of the apparatus shown in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, there isdisposed on the base ll', at a spaced distance fromy the end of thehousing i2, a pair of xed upright supports i9 to -W-hich is pivoted atray holder 20 at 29a so that the latter may oscllate in a verticalplane. The pivotal connections are, as illustrated, between the sides ofthe tray holder and the tray supports IB. As illustrated, the trayholder 20 is disposed betweenthe supports.

. For removably .fitting the tray holder, I provide a sorting tray 2 Itoreceive a stack of cards. This tray comprises three parallel templateplates 22 rigidly connected Aby a bottom plate 23 and an end plate 24.

'Ihe top and rear edge of the template plates are perforated or punchedto correspond with the perforations or punchings in the cards to besorted. Arranged above the rigid bottom plate 23 of the tray 2| Iprovide a removable bottom plate 23a which is of a length agreeing withthe length of the cards to be sorted. This bottom plate is receivablethrough a slot 29h formed in tray holder and is slidably received inguides 23h formed in the sorting tray so that it may be removed justprior to the sorting operation. Plate 23a is formed with a slot 23a' inwhich the lowermost support I 9 (as the parts are depicted in Fig. 2) isaccommodated when the plate is being inserted into the tray. Thedistance between the top of the templates 22 and the top of thisremovable bottom plate 23a is such that when cards are stacked on thisremovable plate 23a, their top and rear edges will precisely correspondwith that of the templates so that sorting needles or rods 25 may beprojected through the selected punchings or holes in the templates andcards for the purpose of sorting. That is to say, the sorting needles orrods 25 are projected through the templates and cards through thepunchings correspending to the selected classications. Thereafter theremovable bottom plate 23a may be removed so that those cards which arenotched in register with the sorting rods or needles 25 may lowerrelative to the needles and deposit on the bottom plate 23,V disengagingfrom the needles or rods 25.

After this operation the tray holder 2i! may be moved about its pivotalpoint to an inclined position with its front end lowermcst, as shown inthe drawings, so that the cards disengaged from the needles or rods 25will slide down the tray toward the front edge thereofso that they maybe removed.

I have found that in sorting stacks of cards, the cards have a tendencyto adhere together so that some of the notched cards remain suspended asif unnotched. To make certain that all of the cards that are notched inregister with the sorting needles or rods 25 will disengage from theremainder of the cards and drop downwardly in the tray for removal, Iprovide an air nozzle 26 which is connected by a rigid conduit 2lthrough a flexible conduit 28 to the discharge connection i5 of theblower l5. The rigid conduit 27 is guided in a guide member 29 on theframe for longitudinal movement transversely of the tray holder 2li. Thenozzle 26 is downwardly directed and overlies the tray holder so that ablast of air can be directed downwardly between the cards to separatethe same as the nozzle is moved transversely over the top of the stackof cards. The flexible connection 28 enables this movement of the rigidconduit 2l and the nozzle 2S. As the cards separate, they will descendand slide toward the front edge of the tray at a lower elevation thanthe cards held suspended from the needles or rods 25 and, therefore, bereadily removed from the tray.

In the operation of the form of the invention shown in the figures justreferred to, the sorting tray 2| is placed in the tray holder 2t withthe cards stacked therein on the removable bottom plate 23a. rIhesorting needles or rods 25 are then projected through the pun-chings orperforations indicating the selected classifications. These needles orrods 25 are, of course, projected through both the templates and thecards so that they will retain those cards in the stackV which areunnotched in register with the selected classilcations. The removablebottom plate 23a is then removed so that the cards which are notched inregister with the sorting needles or rods 25 may drop from the sortingneedles or rods 25 to the bottom plate 23 of the tray holder. Theremaining cards, of course, will be held suspended in the sorting tray2l on the sorting needles or rods 25. After the removable bottom plate23a is removed, the air nozzle 26 is moved back and forth over the upperedges of the card stack to separate the selected cards from theremainder of the stack and permit the former to drop from the needles tothe bottom of the tray. When the tray is inclined, the cards descend tothe front end of the tray. When the cards are all separated in thisfashion, those cards deposited at the front end of the tray holder maybe removed.

In the form of the device shown in Figs, 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings, apivotal tray holder is not employed. In this form of the device arectangular cabinet 35 is substituted for the pivotal tray holder. Thiscabinet is provided with fixed templates 36 at opposite sides thereofwhich extend slightly above the open upper end of the cabinet. At theproper distance below the top of these templates is a slide 37 guidedfor sliding movement in the cabinet so as to form a removable bottomplate on which the cards may be stacked. Disposed in the cabinet beneaththis slide is a drawer 38 mounted for sliding movement in the cabinetand removable therefrom, preferably in a direction at right angles tothat of the slide 3l. It is intended that this drawer receive the cardsseparated from the stack being sorted. I prefer that the elevation ofthe slide 3l in the cabinet be such that when the cards are stackedthereon in the cabinet, that the cards will be slightly inclined, asillustrated, to aid in sorting.

In operation of the form of the device shown in Figs. 5 to 7, inclusive,the slide 3l is positioned in the cabinet and the cards are stackedthereon in such an oblique position that their punched edges willcorrespond with the punchings in the templates St. Sorting rods orneedles 39 are then inserted through the templates and cards through theperforations representing the selected classifications. The slide 3'5 isthen withdrawn from the cabinet 35, as illustrated, to permit the cardswhich are notched in register with the sorting needles or rods 39 todeposit in the drawer 38. This withdrawing action of the slide aids inseparating the cards. The air nozzle 25 is moved back and forthtransversely across the upper edge of the stack of cards to insureseparation of all cards so that the notched or selected cards may beseparated from the stach and will deposit in the drawer 38.

From the foregoing it is obvious that I have provided a card sortingdevice by means of which cards may be expeditiously7 separated, andwhile I have shown the preferred form of my invention, it is to beunderstood that various changes may be made in its construction by thoseskilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention asdefined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure byLetters Patent is:

1. In an apparatus of the character described,

a frame, a plurality of rigidly connected lateralf ly spaced templatescarried by the frame, said templates being vertically disposed inlateral alignment and having holes formed therethrough complementary toand aligning with holes in a stack of cards to be disposed between thetemplates for sorting, 4a removable supporting means between thetemplates for supporting a stack of cards in proper register therewith,selector rods for engaging the holes of the templates and stack of cardsso supported for the purposes Aoi sorting, said removable supportingmeans being removable from between the templates to enable selectedcards to descend relative to the remainder of the stack, an air nozzlemovable laterally across the top of a stack of cards disposed betweenthe templates for directing air underv pressure therebetween, and meansfor delivering air under pressure to said nozzle.

2, In an apparatus of the character described, a frame, a plurality ofrigidly connected laterally spaced templates carried by the frame, saidtemplates being vertically disposed in lateral alignment and havingholes formed therethrough complementary to and aligning with holes in astack of cards to be disposed between the templates for sorting, aremovable supporting means between the templates for supporting a stackof cards in proper register therewith, selector rods' for engaging theholes of the templates and stack of cards so supported for the purposesof sorting, said removable supporting means being removable frornbetween the templates to enable selected cards to descend relative tothe remainder of the stack, a blower carried by the frame, a nozzleconnected to the blower, guide means carried by the frame and associatedwith the nozzle to enable the latter to be moved transversely over astack of cards supported between the templates and direct air from theblower between the cards to separate the same.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, a frame, a plurality ofrigidly connected laterally spaced templates carried by the frame, saidtemplates being vertically disposed in lateral alignment and havingholes formed therethrough complementary to and aligning with holes in astack of cards to be disposed therebetween for sorting, a removablebottom plate disposed between the templates for supporting a stack` ofcards in proper registration therewith, said bottom plate beingremovable to enable selected cards to descend from the stack while theremainder of the cards are maintained suspended from selector rodspenetrating through the holes in the templates and stack of cards, anair nozzle overlying the templates and movable transversely therebetweenand thereover to direct an air blast against the upper edge of the cardsto separate the same, a blower carried by the frame, a connectionbetween the blower and said nozzle, and guiding means for saidconnection for guiding the said nozzle along its saidmovement.

4. Apparatus of the character described comprising card selector meansincluding spaced, vertical templates formed with holes to register withholes formed in a stack of cards disposed therebetween, a support membermovable to and from a position providing bottom support for the stack ofcards during insertion of sorting needles, said support member beingmovable to allow the selected cards to drop by gravity from the stack,and air-blast means for directing a blast of air over the top edges ofthe stack of cards to separate selected cards yand to cause them to dropfrom the stack, said air-blast means rcomprising a nozzle and a flexibleconnection allowing movement of the nozzle across the stack 0f cards.

5. Apparatus of the character described comprising card selector meansincluding spaced, vertical templates formed with holes to register withholes formed in a stack of cards disposed therebetween, a support membermovable to and j from a position providing bottom support for the stackof cards Aduring insertion of sorting needles, said support member beingmovable to allow the selected cards to drop by gravity from the stack,and air-blast means for directing a blast of air over the top edges ofthe stack of cards to separate selected cards and to cause them to dropfrom the stack, said air-blast means comprising a nozzle and a flexibleconnection allowing movement of the nozzle across the stack of cards,said nozzle being in the form of a slit extending the width of the stackof cards. y

6. In a card sorting device a tray for the cards to be sorted, means forsecuring selected cards against movement in said tray, means forpermitting movement of unselected cards, and means for separatingselected and unselected cards comprising an air nozzle equal in width tothe width of the cards to be sorted, a rigid air supply tube attached tosaid nozzle, and a guide for said tube slidably securing said tube forguided movement whereby said nozzle may be moved in a xed pathlongitudinally of said tray.

7 In a card sorting device, a tray for the cards to be sorted, means forsecuring selected cards against movement with respect to said tray,means for permitting movement of unselected cards with respect to saidtray, means for separating selected and unselected cards comprising anair chamber, openings in said chamber for admission of air thereto, airheating means within said chamber, a blower within said chamber, an airnozzle mounted over said tray, and an air conduit from said blower tosaid nozzle, said nozzle being equal in width to the width of the cardsto be sorted and being movably disposed over said tray to be movedlongitudinally thereof.

8. In a card sorting device, a tray for the cards to be sorted, meansfor securing selected cards against movement with respect to said tray,means for permitting movement of unselected cards with respect to saidtray, means for separating selected and unselected cards comprising anair chamber, openings in said chamber for 'admission of air thereto, airheating means within said chamber, a blower within said chamber, an airnozzle mounted over said tray, and an air conduit from said blower tosaid nozzle, said nozzle being equal in width to the width of the cardsto be sorted and being movably disposed over said tray to be movedlongitudinally thereof, a portion of said conduit being directlyattached to the nozzle and being. rigid, and guide means for guidingsaid rigid portion for transverse movement of the nozzle over said trayin a fixed path.

THOMAS F. MEAGI-IER.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 584,311 Marvin June 8, 1897 1,498,966 Henderson June 24, 19241,499,209 Gaved June 24, 1924 1,662,669 Hallett Mar. 13, 1928 1,710,706Maxner Apr. 30, 1929 2,098,158 ONeill Nov. 2, 1937 2,169,050 JohnsonAug. 8, 1939

